diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/backup/vtctlbackup/backup_utils.go b/go/test/endtoend/backup/vtctlbackup/backup_utils.go
index 3a0150cc87c..5c69a110e15 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/backup/vtctlbackup/backup_utils.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/backup/vtctlbackup/backup_utils.go
@@ -1133,6 +1133,17 @@ func GetReplicaGtidPurged(t *testing.T, replicaIndex int) string {
 	return row.AsString("gtid_purged", "")
 }
 
+func ReconnectReplicaToPrimary(t *testing.T, replicaIndex int) {
+	query := fmt.Sprintf("CHANGE REPLICATION SOURCE TO SOURCE_HOST='localhost', SOURCE_PORT=%d, SOURCE_USER='vt_repl', SOURCE_AUTO_POSITION = 1", primary.MySQLPort)
+	replica := getReplica(t, replicaIndex)
+	_, err := replica.VttabletProcess.QueryTablet("stop replica", keyspaceName, true)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = replica.VttabletProcess.QueryTablet(query, keyspaceName, true)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = replica.VttabletProcess.QueryTablet("start replica", keyspaceName, true)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+}
+
 func InsertRowOnPrimary(t *testing.T, hint string) {
 	if hint == "" {
 		hint = textutil.RandomHash()[:12]
diff --git a/go/test/endtoend/backup/vtctlbackup/pitr_test_framework.go b/go/test/endtoend/backup/vtctlbackup/pitr_test_framework.go
index 7f611d81ad6..4c84c3e63bc 100644
--- a/go/test/endtoend/backup/vtctlbackup/pitr_test_framework.go
+++ b/go/test/endtoend/backup/vtctlbackup/pitr_test_framework.go
@@ -68,21 +68,24 @@ type testedBackupTimestampInfo struct {
 	postTimestamp time.Time
 }
 
-func waitForReplica(t *testing.T, replicaIndex int) {
+// waitForReplica waits for the replica to have same row set as on primary.
+func waitForReplica(t *testing.T, replicaIndex int) int {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 10*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(1 * time.Second)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
 	pMsgs := ReadRowsFromPrimary(t)
 	for {
 		rMsgs := ReadRowsFromReplica(t, replicaIndex)
 		if len(pMsgs) == len(rMsgs) {
 			// success
-			return
+			return len(pMsgs)
 		}
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			assert.FailNow(t, "timeout waiting for replica to catch up")
-			return
-		case <-time.After(time.Second):
+			return 0
+		case <-ticker.C:
 			//
 		}
 	}
@@ -289,6 +292,12 @@ func ExecTestIncrementalBackupAndRestoreToPos(t *testing.T, tcase *PITRTestCase)
 					if sampleTestedBackupPos == "" {
 						sampleTestedBackupPos = pos
 					}
+					t.Run("post-pitr, wait for replica to catch up", func(t *testing.T) {
+						// Replica is DRAINED and does not have replication configuration.
+						// We now connect the replica to the primary and validate it's able to catch up.
+						ReconnectReplicaToPrimary(t, 0)
+						waitForReplica(t, 0)
+					})
 				})
 			}
 		}
@@ -539,6 +548,12 @@ func ExecTestIncrementalBackupAndRestoreToTimestamp(t *testing.T, tcase *PITRTes
 						if sampleTestedBackupIndex < 0 {
 							sampleTestedBackupIndex = backupIndex
 						}
+						t.Run("post-pitr, wait for replica to catch up", func(t *testing.T) {
+							// Replica is DRAINED and does not have replication configuration.
+							// We now connect the replica to the primary and validate it's able to catch up.
+							ReconnectReplicaToPrimary(t, 0)
+							waitForReplica(t, 0)
+						})
 					} else {
 						numFailedRestores++
 					}